IIT, NIT Admissions: 40% Weightage for 12th & 60% for JEE

IIT-JEE-2013 (ISEET)-DRAFT-EXAM-PATTERN

IIT JEE 2013 Proposed Exam Pattern

A new JEE in the making

Staff Reporter

April 16, 2012

The Hindu ONE EXAM, TWO CHANCES: A common entrance exam could also mean only one chance, but the MHRD concept paper says the new JEE will be held at least twice a year. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Board exam marks will be a main component of the proposed single entrance exam for admission to top engineering institutes in the country. A look at what's on offer for the students.

Sleepless nights spent over juggling between cracking multiple entrance examinations and preparing for the board examinations for Class XII is likely to be a thing of the past. Getting to the top engineering institutes in the country will be determined by one examination — JEE.

Beginning next year, a single examination for admission to engineering programmes in the IITs, NITs and IIITs and by any other institution in the States wanting to be part of it will be held and referred to as the ‘Joint Entrance Examination' (JEE).

According to MHRD sources, Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal has in principle agreed to the new pattern that was arrived at by the Ramasami Committee and experts from ISI Kolkata.

The MHRD concept paper says new JEE will be held at least twice a year to enable students make more than one attempt. The first JEE will be held in April 2013 and the second in November/December 2013.

With the new JEE, for the first time, the marks obtained in the Board examinations will be considered for engineering admission. The percentile rank, not the absolute marks, of a student in the science stream in the Board that he or she appears in, will be the marks for the Board evaluation component. The rank should be given up to nine decimal places to enable tie-breaks, according to the concept paper.

The formula to be used for the percentile rank is (cl+0.5 fi)/N x 100, where cl is the count of all scores less than the score of interest, fi is the frequency of the score of interest (the number of students with the same score) and N is the number of examines in the sample.

JEE will consist of two papers — main and advance — each of 3-hour duration. The main paper, to be held in the morning, will test the foundational understanding of students in physics, chemistry and mathematics in school. The question paper will be designed not only by domain experts but also involve psychometry experts. The advance paper in the afternoon will have the same syllabus as the main paper with questions testing the problem formulation as well as problem-solving skills and incisive thinking.

A CFTI (Centrally-Funded Technical Institutions which includes IITs, NITs and IIITs) rank will be provided to each candidate. The rank will be based on the weightages of board marks – 40 per cent, main test – 30 per cent and advance test – 30 per cent. Tie-breaks will be handled in the order of board percentile rank, main test marks, advance test marks, and marks in the subject with the lowest, second lowest and third lowest, average marks of the advance test.

The JEE result will specifically mention the students' performance in the three components. For final admissions, the CFTIs will have online counselling through a single window system based on the rank.

“The new pattern is yet to be finalised. The institutes have to review the examination model and get back within a month's time. The final decision will be made next month,” says IIT-Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi.

A JEE Apex Board, Academic Group, Delivery Group and Interface Group will be in place by the end of this month.

Students will have to submit separate application forms, one for the JEE and another for admissions to the institutes that will use the examination scores. It would be open to States and engineering institutes to use the JEE results and to adopt the same pattern of admission, giving appropriate weightage for State Board results.

http://www.thehindu.com/education/article3320228.ece?homepage=true

 

IITs opposition puts question mark on engineering exam

Abhishek Choudhari, TNN | Mar 31, 2012, 12.46AM IST

NAGPUR: The common exam for entrance to all engineering institutes from IITs and to local engineering colleges seems to have hit rough weather due to opposition from some IIT managements. From 2013, the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) was all set to replace all other engineering entrance tests across the country with most state governments giving their consent. However some IITs and their student senates have expressed displeasure over the way the change was being initiated.

Highly placed sources in IIT Council, the apex governing body for all 15 IITs, confirmed to TOI that differences had cropped up in their discussions about JEE with the government. Director of a renowned IIT said on condition of anonymity that the government was pushing through the changes without taking every stakeholder into confidence. "The government should have first come to IIT Council and known their concerns. The Council would have then reached out to all IITs, where academic and students' senate would have given their views. Once we take everyone's views, only then could a consensus be reached. You just can't walk in one fine day and order things changed," he said.

A senior faculty member of another IIT said, "Our institutes have been doing great for over half a century and now suddenly the government thinks there is a problem. We don't oppose or question the government's intention for a common exam but the methodology is wrong. IITs are being asked to give minimum 40 per cent weightage to board exams for admissions which is not right. Cheating during board exams is rampant in many states. They cannot be taken as a common benchmark. IITs must retain the right to decide the criteria for admissions else the standard will go down."

In certain IITs, the students' senates too have opposed the new JEE citing dilution of admission criteria and conveyed the same to their board of governors. There have been reports that the All India IIT Faculty Federation has written to HRD ministry opposing the government's approach but ministry officials deny having received any such letter.

While HRD minister Kapil Sibal was unavailable for comment, his private secretary Uma Shankar said everyone concerned had been consulted. Shankar said, "Our ministry has tried to get views from faculty, students and other stakeholders to reach a consensus. For a whole month, we had a special website where all stakeholders were asked to blog their views. I am myself an IITian and hold my institute in high esteem but we have to find a solution to the problems that plague our system."

The problems according to Shankar are of having too many entrance exams and an education system (for Std XI and XII) that functions outside the school system itself. "There are about 180 exams in the country for engineering admissions. Everyone now depends on coaching centres and ignores board exams. Students get admitted to a college that discreetly ties up with a coaching institute and marks their attendance. Students don't go to college hence teachers don't teach. Is this the kind of education we want," asked Shankar.

A meeting has been scheduled on April 24 between the government and a special committee comprising select IIT directors.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/IITs-opposition-puts-question-mark-on-engineering-exam/articleshow/12474267.cms

 

NCP questions hurry in changing IIT-JEE admission format

PTI Mar 29, 2012, 06.03PM IST

NEW DELHI: UPA ally NCP today questioned in the Rajya Sabha, the government's hurry in pushing for changes in the IIT-JEE format for admissions from 2013 without the consent of the prestigious technical education centres.

"Why the Minister (HRD Minister Kapil Sibal) is in a hurry to rush it in 2013…without taking the views of stakeholders. They were never consulted," Tariq Anwar (NCP) demanded to know raising the issue during the Zero Hour.

He said the senates of IIT-Kanpur and IIT-Delhi have disapproved of the way the Human Resource Development Ministry has been pushing for the changes in the test.

"I urged the Minister to look into it and take IITs' suggestion," he said, adding the institutes were not against the proposal but against the manner in which issues were pursued without consulting them.

The government has proposed to change the IIT-JEE format by introducing two-part objective-type tests and giving weightage to Class XII marks.

The Ministry plans to hold an Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET) from 2013. This would serve as a single national entrance exam for admission to engineering and science courses in centrally funded institutions such as the 15 IITs, 30 NITs and a host of other technical institutes.

The test will replace the existing IIT-JEE and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE).

Highlighting the plight of farmers in the country, Parshottam Khodabhai Rupala (BJP) said cotton growers have not been able to export even a bale despite the government lifting the ban, which had led to suicides by farmers.

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-03-29/news/31254666_1_iit-jee-format-iit-kanpur-and-iit-delhi-engineering-and-science-courses

 

IITs oppose test change

BASANT KUMAR MOHANTY

Tuesday , March 13 , 2012

New Delhi, March 12: The government’s proposal to change the IIT-JEE format by introducing two-part objective-type tests and giving weightage to Class XII marks has not found favour with two IITs and the faculty federation of the tech schools.

The senates of IIT Kanpur and IIT Delhi have disapproved of the way the human resource development ministry has been pushing for the changes in the test.

The IIT Faculty Federation has argued that the proposed reforms would not serve the purpose of getting students with high aptitude and knowledge.

While the senate is the highest-decision making body at any IIT, the faculty federation has teachers from all IITs as members.

The ministry plans to hold an Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET) from 2013. This would serve as a single national entrance exam for admission to engineering and science courses in centrally funded institutions such as the 15 IITs, 30 NITs and a host of other technical institutes.

The test will replace the existing IIT-JEE and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE).

The ISEET would have two parts — the main test and an advance section.

Candidates would have to answer objective-type questions in both parts, to be held on the same day. The test would be conducted by the CBSE with assistance from the IITs.

The Class XII marks will be given at least 40 per cent weightage while the test score would make up the remaining 60 per cent. So far, the Class XII results have no bearing on the IIT-JEE score and rank.

“The senate of IIT Kanpur met last month and differed with the proposed single entrance test, especially on the weightage to Class XII scores. Its Senate members said the method suggested for factoring in the Class XII results would not help the IITs get good students. Since the assessment system varies across school boards, the knowledge of students cannot be reflected on the same scale and such weightage would not be a true assessment,” a source said.

The other objections relate to both parts of the test carrying objective-type questions and the plan to hold them the same day.

“Most senate members in the two IITs (which have raised the objections) have said that the advanced test should require long answers instead of objective-type questions. The second test should be conducted by the IITs and on a different date,” the source said.

The faculty federation voiced its objections at a meeting here yesterday. “We have decided to write to the HRD ministry not to implement the reforms immediately. They should be further debated and then finalised,” a federation member said.

The ministry had set up a panel headed by IIT Kharagpur director Damodar Acharya to suggest ways to reform the test. The panel recommended the single test.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120313/jsp/nation/story_15243713.jsp

IIT faculty body opposes entrance exam changes

• February 29, 2012
• Age Correspondent
• New Delhi

The All-India IIT Faculty Federation (AIIITFF) on Tuesday strongly opposed the proposed changes to the existing IIT-JEE entrance examination pattern, alleging that it was an arbitrary decision being imposed by the Union human resource development ministry.

The latest opposition could seriously jeopardise the government’s ambitious plan to introduce a common national examination for undergraduate engineering courses across the country.
In a letter to the directors of all the IITs on the issue of modifying undergraduate admission process at IITs from 2013, the AIIITFF has claimed that the views, comments and recommendations of one of the main stakeholders, namely the faculty of the IITs, have not been taken at all till now. “Many IITs have debated this matter on different platforms and have passed resolutions expressing concern over the proposal,” the letter written by secretary, AIIITFF, Prof. Atul K. Mittal, adds.
“It is felt that issues pertaining to the IITs must first be debated at the statutory bodies (senate) for views, recommendations and acceptance before is implemented,” the letter said.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/iit-faculty-body-opposes-entrance-exam-changes-775

Students should not ignore Board exams in favour of IIT-JEE: Sibal

Naveed Iqbal : New Delhi, Sat Feb 25 2012, 01:48 hrs

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal on Friday said the pattern of Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Exam (IIT-JEE), 2013, was being changed so that “students do not get away from school scholastic system”.

“An aberration has occurred between those who can afford to go for coaching for IIT-JEE and brilliant students who can’t afford to compete with them,” Sibal said.

According to the new scheme being finalised, 40 per cent marks will be based on the school board exam results. The move will ensure that students pay equal attention to Board exams while preparing for JEE. Sibal said there will be two exams for IIT-JEE — the Main Exam, which will quiz students on their knowledge of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, and the Advanced Exam to assess the depth of learning of a candidate.

The minister was speaking at a function in IIT-Delhi to mark the end of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the institute.

Sibal also said the question papers for IIT-JEE will be set by IIT faculty so that the “brand of IIT is not diluted”.

‘‘As requested by the IITs, we are not changing the name of the examination. We will continue to call it the Joint Entrance Exam,” he said.

He announced that the ministry was considering a new process for appointing directors wherein “candidates will be asked to submit a vision for their tenure, and, once selected, their contribution at the end of their term will be assessed so as to increase accountability and also to make sure that the system delivers”.

“Although the MHRD wants to implement the new changes from 2013, the states have expressed reservations,” said an official. A task force headed by IIT-Kanpur Director Professor S G Dhande has been formed to look into the modalities of setting up the IIT-JEE scheme. The task force will have to ensure that states coordinate the release of Class XII exam results and also work out a system to equate the Board marks on a 40-point scale.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/students-should-not-ignore-board-exams-in-favour-of-iitjee-sibal/916432/0

IITs' new entrance format to help get better students: Kapil Sibal

IANS | Feb 24, 2012, 08.17PM IST

The new format of exams for entrance to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will ensure brighter students getting through to the prestigious institutions.

NEW DELHI: The new format of exams for entrance to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will ensure brighter students getting through to the prestigious institutions, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said Friday.

Speaking at a function in IIT-Delhi, Sibal said the new system will not replace the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) as speculated, and will give weightage to school board marks.

"School board exam marks (Class 12) will be given weightage, which will be 40 percent," Sibal said adding that with the coaching system dominating, students were ignoring board exams and focusing on coaching for the JEE.

The HRD minister also informed that the exam will be held in two parts, mains and advanced. The first part will be an aptitude test, and the second part will check the student's "depth of knowledge".

"IIT faculty will set the paper, and the exam will be called JEE only," he said.

The minister said the new system will help get better students to the premier institute.

According to a senior professor from the IIT, the new pattern may be introduced from 2013.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/careers/education/IITs-new-entrance-format-to-help-get-better-students-Kapil-Sibal/articleshow/12022114.cms

Common engineering exam inches closer to reality

Abhishek Choudhari, TNN | Feb 24, 2012, 02.37AM IST

NAGPUR: The proposed common engineering test for the entire country inched closer to fruition with a meeting held between the HRD ministry and state education ministers on Wednesday in the capital. Majority of the states, including Maharashtra, have agreed 'in principle' to use the test scores from next year.

To be administered by the CBSE, the Indian Science and Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET) will be applicable to all centrally funded engineering institutes which includes the premier IITs and NITs. These institutes, along with those of the states, will use ISEET scores which will be held in either April or May next year. There are concerns, however, over the quality of examination since the elite IIT exam will be merged with AIEEE and will also be a gateway to many state level colleges.

Nisha Kothari, who owns a coaching centre in Nagpur, said, "Quality of the exam will surely go down due to the proposed ISEET, as the focus shifts on quantity of students. Teaching quality will also take a hit as any entrepreneur in the market will think of starting a coaching centre and students will suffer. The government is thinking of including Std XII marks in the overall weightage, but there are very few good teachers in junior colleges now." For admissions, all institutes will be considering Std XII marks along with those of the ISEET.

Another institute head Abhishek Bansal said, "My concern is the equivalency of the Std XII exams in the country. Every state has a different syllabus and probably a different standard of education. There has to be a standardization of curriculum across the country first and then this exam would be fair. Overall I am all for the ISEET as it is a good idea." Rajnikant Bondre, an IIT coaching institute owner, said, "Quality will not be affected too much and at the same time I feel the ISEET will give a chance to everyone."

A high-ranking official with the state education department said that quality of the exam will be retained through paper division. There will be two papers, Main and Advance, which will test separate skills. "The Main exam will test the thinking capability of the student while the Advance paper will be set and assessed by the IIT staff. So the level of toughness will be maintained in the new system as well," the official said.

While giving admissions under the new scheme, the marks weightage criteria is likely to be different for every institute. "The IITs may give 50% weightage to the Advance paper and divide the other 50% between Std XII and Main paper marks. State colleges however could give 40% weightage to Std XII marks, 40% to Main and remaining to Advance. The final distribution will be decided later on by the stakeholders concerned," the official added.

It is expected that a formal declaration of the exam with final details will be made by May this year.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Common-engineering-exam-inches-closer-to-reality/articleshow/12011666.cms

Single national engineering entrance exam to replace multiple tests draws ire of IIT faculty

Jyotsna Bhatnagar

 

Posted: Friday, Feb 24, 2012 at 0454 hrs IST

Ahmedabad: The decision to hold a single entrance test for all centrally-run engineering institutes from next year has stirred a hornet’s nest, with three bluechip IITs writing to the Union human resource ministry opposing the proposal. Faculties of IITs in Delhi, Mumbai and Kanpur have voiced their concerns, saying introducing the test without normalising marks across state boards in too little time could affect current Class 12 students and lead to a bunching of candidates at the top of the rank list.

The Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET), which will eliminate multiple admission tests including the IIT-JEE, is expected to reduce stress on students. The three IITs that have protested, along with the IITs in Kharagpur and Guwahati, are counted as the best among India’s 15 IITs.

The institutes’ primary concern is the impact on the batch of Class 12 students who appear for IIT-JEE and other exams this year. At an emergency senate meeting last week, IIT Delhi faculty members expressed concern that introducing ISEET from next year will “not be feasible and will be unfair to the current class 12 students”. This is largely because while two attempts are allowed for JEE, the current batch of Class 12 is unaware that in the new scheme of things, their board scores will carry 40% weight. “If they do not make it in 2012, then in 2013 their Class 12 marks will get counted but they were not aware of this when they appeared for Class 12,” states a note prepared by the faculty, a copy of which is with FE.

IITs are also miffed over providing weightage for Class 12 examinations without specifying a formula for normalising marks from India’s 42 secondary school boards. The JEE system so far has used Class 12 marks only as a cut-off. The institutes worry that a deadline has been set to implement the normalisation, without specifying how the process would take place. Normalisation has not been tried even in 15% of the boards and even data prepared by the Ramasami Commission evaluating the feasibility of the JEE revamp have data from only four school boards.

The institutes feel there should be at least one dry run of normalisation before implementing the formula. “It would be advisable to have a dry run. Any changed system should come after the consent of the IIT senates,” says Prof Sanjeev Sanghi, president of the faculty forum of IIT Delhi. Normalisation is seen as a herculean task involving obtaining data from all boards representing a heterogenous mix with different levels of complexity, grading and scores, and that too by the first or second week of June.

The experience of BITS, Pilani indicates that such an exercise was turning lop-sided in favour of a couple of state boards and hence that Institute shifted to an entrance exam. IITs are also apprehensive about the methodology and reported malpractices in some state board exams.

The IITs feel that at best, the normalised/percentile scores should be used as a filter and not contribute to final scores. The IIT Kanpur senate resolution passed earlier this month is firmly of the opinion that board marks should not be used for ranking.

IITs also feel that if expectation levels in different exams are different, a single test is not the cure. Such an exam will lead to bunching at the top with perhaps over a thousand students could score the same marks, complicating the rank allotment process.

It is also being felt that the single test won’t be able to reduce stress or curb the so-called ‘menace’ of coaching. In fact, if school exam scores are included, coaching classes could get more business. As long as there is a big gap between the number of seats in good colleges and the number of students, it will be difficult to stop candidates from seeking extra help.

The premier IITs have proposed a two-tier JEE with a first level of multiple-choice questions (MCQ) and the second one a subjective type exam. The MCQ exam should be used only as a screening test and a second exam based on subjective type questions in physics, chemistry and mathematics administered to a manageable number of students (say, 40,000 to 50,000). In addition, if it is strongly desired by all, there could be a component of Class 12 marks, either suitably normalised or on a percentile basis, which could be weighed along with the MCQ exam, but this score is only to be used as a filter for the second exam. Finally, the responsibility of conducting these exams should lie with IITs. The IIT Bombay faculty forum meeting held a week ago recommended that the undergraduate admission process should go back to the two-tier format that existed earlier.

IIT faculties also feel slighted that they were kept in the dark by the ministry while taking such a major decision. IIT Delhi note categorically points out that “such important decisions are being taken without proper discussions” with IITs, which are not only directly impacted by this change but will also be nodal in implementing it. “The immaculate reputation of the JEE is due to the commitment and involvement of the IIT faculty at all stages. So, if there is a problem with the JEE, the solution too should come from IITs,” said a senior faculty member of a leading IIT.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/single-national-engineering-entrance-exam-to-replace-multiple-tests-draws-ire-of-iit-faculty/916116/0

IIT aspirants to get four shots at cracking test

Ritika Chopra  New Delhi, February 23, 2012 | UPDATED 14:12 IST

An IIT aspirant will soon be allowed four attempts at the entrance test to secure a seat in one of the 15 institutes.

What's better is that one doesn't have to waste four years to exhaust all the attempts as the human resource development (HRD) ministry along with the IITs have now decided to conduct the entrance examination three to four times in a single year. And the validity of the test score will be increased to two years.

Currently, a candidate can attempt the joint entrance examination (JEE) not more than twice and has to wait a whole year before he or she can take the test the second time. The test score is valid only for one year.

This decision is part of the Centre's drive to reduce stress among engineering aspirants because of multiple entrance tests through the introduction of a single national entrance test.

The single entrance test, which in its first edition will be valid for all centrallyfunded engineering institutes such as 15 IITs, 30 NITs, 4 IIITs, IISERs and a few deemed universities, is in effect a merger of the IIT-JEE and the AIEEE and will be launched next year.

Though the test will be conducted twice (in April/May and November/December) in 2013, over the next few years, it will be held three to four times in a year and the candidate can then seek admission to any of the centrally-funded institutes with the best score out of all attempts.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/iit-aspirants-to-get-four-shots-at-cracking-test/1/174924.html

From next year, one entrance test for IIT & NIT, but not local engg colleges

Published: Thursday, Feb 23, 2012, 8:00 IST
By Vineeta Pandey | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA

The government plans to conduct a single entrance examination for admissions to undergraduate programmes in central government’s engineering institutes such as Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NIT) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) from 2013. The Union ministry of human resource development (MHRD) has decided to merge the present IIT-Joint Entrance Examination (JEEs) and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) into one common test, in which 40%weightage will be given to class 12 exam of state boards and the rest to two tests- Main and Advanced — to be held same day. However, the state engineering colleges, private institutes and deemed universities can continue to have their separate exams as of now because a majority of the states are reluctant to adopt the central formula. Though HRD minister Kapil Sibal said the states have “in-principle” endorsed the Centre’s formula, the fact remains that despite the government’s claim that the single test will bring down the stress level among students and curb the dependency on coaching centres, the states are reluctant with anything that interferes with their functioning. For instance, Tamil Nadu gives 100% weightage to state board exam results and told the Centre that it was not keen to disturb its present arrangement. As of now, there are about 150 entrance exams conducted by various state boards and institutions, including the IIT-JEE, annually. Unable to garner support from a majority of states, Sibal said the first common examination will be held only for admission to central government-funded engineering institutions (IIT, NIIT and IIITs). A merit list will prepared on the basis of this test using which aspirants can seek admission. A student will get three chances to improve the percentile and the marks of this entrance test will be valid for two years. The tests will be conducted in English and Hindi. The academic component of the Main and Advanced examinations will be handled by IITs, while the management and conduct of the examination would be done by the CBSE in collaboration with state boards. The MHRD suggested the states to adopt their own weightages for state board exam marks and the national exams for admission to state-level institutions. They could also adopt 100% weightage for state board results. Sibal also clarified that the reform would not affect reservations followed by states and the Centre. The government will now try to get deemed universities on board as well as they have in the past used AIEEE for admissions.

 

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_from-next-year-one-entrance-test-for-iit-and-nit-but-not-local-engg-colleges_1653666

Five states oppose common entrance engineering test

TNN | Feb 23, 2012, 02.21AM IST

NEW DELHI: The government's plan to introduce a common national examination for undergraduate engineering courses across the country will have to be curtailed with the test applicable only for central technical institutions from next year as at least five states have objected to the proposal.

The states, including Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, opposed the move and two others advocated more debate when the common test was discussed at the state education ministers' meeting on Wednesday.

In light of the meeting's deliberations, admissions to IIT, other Central government institutions and state engineering institutions that admit students based on AIEEE scores will be carried out in accordance with a merit list drawn up by the common national examination results with weightage for state boards.

Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Puducherry opposed the proposal, while Uttar Pradesh suggested that private institutions be brought on board as well. Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh asked for wider consultation. The states have been keen to retain their state-level common entrance tests.

In the midst of the opposition from non-Congress states, the human resource development ministry received support from unexpected quarters with Gujarat expressing its approval for the plan.

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said the common test will be for the means for admission to central engineering institutes like IITs, and expressed the hope that states will also adopt the formula in coming years. There are, however, considerable reservations of including board exam weightages to tests to India's top technical schools like IITs that have previously conducted their own entrance exams.

Sibal said 11 boards at the Council of Boards of School Education in India ( COBSE) meeting last week have "unanimously" supported the move. Four states – Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh – have already accepted CBSE-conducted AIEEE scores for admission to their institutes.

"The unanimous decision of the state education ministers today in passing the resolution was that we agreed in principle that there should be one test in 2013 for all students who want to seek admission to central engineering institutions," Sibal said.

The proposed entrance test which the HRD ministry has proposed to be named as Indian Science – Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET), is likely to be conducted in April or May next year and will have two parts – ISEET main and ISEET advance. The former will test the inherent intelligence of the student.

Education ministers of states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh among others also suggested including regional language along with English and Hindi.

"The exam will be conducted initially twice a year starting in April-May, 2013 and the ultimate aim is to conduct it thrice or four times. The score will be valid for two years."

A formula has been devised by the Indian Statistical Institute to equate the scores of different boards. The idea is to re-emphasize school education, do away with the stress of multiple examination and grey markets," added Sibal.

The entrance examination question papers will be prepared by the IITs and the exam will be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education. In the first year (2013) around 12 lakh candidates are expected to take the exam. States which will base its admissions on the common entrance test are Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh and Uttarakhand.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/entrance-exams/Five-states-oppose-common-entrance-engineering-test/articleshow/11998350.cms

The new JEE; ISEET is renamed

In a move that will enable the HRD Ministry to go forward with examination reforms, a majority of states on Wednesday gave an ‘in principle approval’ to the new common entrance exam format that will replace the AIEEE and JEE from 2013.
However, the nomenclature will stay. On request from IIT directors it has been decided that the name of JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) will continue to be used for the test rather than the proposed Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test.
The new JEE and a minimum of 40 per cent weightage to school board scores will decide admissions to all Central government-run engineering institutes, IITs, NITs, IIITs, starting 2013.

This new JEE, as reported first by The Indian Express, will be held twice a year, in April/May and November /December, and the plan is to hold it at least three-four times a year, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said Wednesday.

The new JEE will consist of two parts — Main, an objective type exam to test comprehension, critical thinking and logical reasoning, and Advance to test problem-solving ability in basic science. Together they will indicate a candidate’s scholastic level and aptitude for science and engineering. The scores will be valid for two years and a student will have three-four attempts to improve them.

“While the exam will be conducted by the CBSE, the quality of the exam will be maintained with IIT professors and other academics devising it,” Sibal said.

Most states expressed appreciation for the new format and said they would use it for admission to their engineering colleges, but Tamil Nadu had reservations. The state gives 100 per cent weightage to school board scores and intends to continue doing so. Bengal, Orissa, Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry have sought more time to look into the proposal.

The modalities of the new JEE will be worked out and the proposal will be taken to the Central Advisory Board of Education and the IIT Council for final approval.

Indian Express

States guarded over Sibal’s combined engg exam plan

23 February 2012 23:59

Pioneer News Service | New Delhi

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal’s frenetic thrust for the implementation of the Common Entrance Test (CET) for admission to engineering colleges was met with caution by most State Governments on Wednesday as the latter sought more time to think the suggestion through. Sibal claimed the proposed reform had “in-principle consensus” of the Education Ministers present at a meeting in the national Capital.

The other proposals, including the setting up of community colleges in the XIIth Plan, National Vocational Educational Qualification Framework (NVEQF), curricular renewal for equitable quality of elementary education and grievances redressal under the RTE Act, however were received well by the States.

The challenge for Sibal was however to win over States’ support for conducting CET in 2013. In a bid to take the State Governments on board, he maintained that the proposed reform would allow flexibility in the proposed weightage of 40 per cent to be given to the State Board examinations. The respective weightage of 60 per cent to the Indian Science – Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET) main and advance may also be decided by the respective State Boards, he clarified.

Sibal pointed out that State Governments played a pivotal role in formulation and implementation of policies in the education sector. “Recognising the centrality of State Governments, I have been conducting regular consultations with them since 2009”, he said.

He however added that irrespective of the decisions of the State, ISEET would be held next year for admissions into 15 IITs, 30 NIT’s and other centrally-funded science and engineering colleges. “The success of these examinations would inspire the States to ultimately go for the CET”, he claimed.

Apart from reducing the multiplicity of the examinations that the students are compelled to face, it would also put an end to the menace of capitation fee, Sibal pointed out. The exams would be held at least three-four times in a year. To begin with, in 2013, it would be held twice, whose frequency would be increased gradually. The students would thus get more attempts to clear the tests.

The Education Ministers of most States felt that since most engineering and science colleges are under State jurisdiction, it is very important to get their consent. “Let the Centre come up with some concrete rules for Common Entrance Test first-we would study it and then give our approval”, they added.

http://dailypioneer.com/nation/44829-states-guarded-over-sibals-combined-engg-exam-plan.html

Most States give ‘in principle' nod to common entrance exam for engg

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Feb. 22: 

Most States have “in principle” endorsed the proposal for a common national examination for engineering with effect from 2013, with weightage to State Board results. However, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry and West Bengal sought more time to study the proposal in detail.

At a State Education Ministers Conference held here on Wednesday, the States said they may also decide on adopting the same pattern for admission to State-level engineering institutions with appropriate weightages.

“It was decided that the details for the common examination process would be finalised in the next two months in consultation with States,” a Human Resource Ministry release said.

The conference was chaired by Mr Kapil Sibal, Minister for Human Resource Development.

The presentation on the reforms in the entrance examinations for admission to engineering institutions was made by Dr T Ramasami Secretary, Department of Science and Technology and Prof Sanjay G Dhande, Director, IIT-Kanpur.

It was clarified to States that the reform would not, in any way, affect reservations followed by States and the Centre. It was also clarified to North-Eastern States that the special pool made available by the Ministry would not be affected.

Also, the States could adopt their own weightages for State Board marks and the national examinations for admission to State-level institutions. Accordingly, States could adopt 100 per cent weightage for State Board results, as in Tamil Nadu.

It was clarified that the academic component of the main and advanced examinations would be handled by IITs, whereas the management and conduct of the examination would be done by the Central Board of Secondary Education in collaboration with State Boards.

IITs and other Central educational institutions were proposing to adopt a weightage of 40 per cent for State Board marks. Certain States raised the issue of conduct of examination in regional languages. “It was clarified that the examinations would be conducted in English and Hindi and where States intend to use the same examination for admission to State engineering institutions, the examination could be conducted in the regional language,” the release added.

States have for long felt the need to limit the multiplicity of entrance examinations thereby reducing stress on students and parents.

aditi.n@thehindu.co.in

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/government-and-policy/article2920356.ece?ref=wl_industry-and-economy

Entrance exams merged for technical institutes

 

22 Feb 2012

From 2013, CBSE will conduct the joint entrance exam, and IITs will design the question paper

Prashant K. Nanda

New Delhi: Beginning 2013, all Union government-funded technical education institutes, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), will admit students through a single entrance examination, Union human resource development minister Kapil Sibal said on Wednesday after a meeting with state education ministers.

With this, the government has formally merged the joint entrance examination (JEE) conducted by the IITs and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) held by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

All the 30 National Institutes of Technology (NITs), the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and central technical universities will also adopt this national examination for admitting students.

The CBSE will conduct the exam, called the joint entrance examination (JEE), and the IITs will design the test papers.

As the sole examination for all technical colleges at the undergraduate level, the JEE is expected to be the largest examination in the country with at least 1.5 million students expected to appear for it in 2013. At present, around 1.1 million take the AIEEE and nearly 500,000 sit for the IIT-JEE.

While admitting students, the colleges will have to give a maximum weight of 40% to school board marks and 60% weight to the national test. “We will normalize the state education boards class XII marks through a method already tested by the Indian Statistical Institutes,” Sibal said.

Mint first reported this on Monday.

Students will get two chances to appear for the exam in the first year (2013) and the best score will be counted while applying for a seat. “Subsequently, the test will be held more number of times a year,” Sibal said.

The All India Council for Technical Education, too, has announced a similar a common central examination for business schools from the coming academic session.

After detailed deliberations, “the proposal for a common national examination with effect from 2013 with weightage to state board results, normalized on the basis of a percentiles formula, was endorsed ‘in principle’ by states”, the HRD ministry said in a separate statement.

“The states of Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry and West Bengal sought more time to study the proposal in detail. The states may decide on adopting the same pattern for admission to state-level engineering institutions with appropriate weightages as states may think fit,” the ministry added.

“We don’t see any problem with the normalisation process,” said CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi, adding that all state boards feel that they can declare their results by the end of May to facilitate admissions through the JEE.

“The new engineering entrance (examination) is a step in the right direction,” said Satya Narayanan, chairman of coaching institute C.L. Educate, earlier known as Career Launcher. “It will help the student focus on academics as the new system allocates weightage to marks in XII board.”

Meanwhile, state education ministers unanimously decided to set up community colleges near industrial clusters to provide vocational training and create employment. To begin with, the country will open 100 such colleges in the 2012-13 academic year.

prashant.n@livemint.com

http://www.livemint.com/2012/02/22230720/Entrance-exams-merged-for-tech.html?h=B

40% score must to sit for Iseet

• February 23, 2012
• DC
• Hyderabad

In view of Centre’s decision to conduct Iseet from 2013, deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha, who holds the portfolio of higher education, argued that any change in the exam pattern should be informed to the students two years in advance so that the fresh batch of students taking admissions in 10+2 courses in the coming academic year 2012-13 could prepare for Iseet accordingly.

“There will be no IIT-JEE and AIEEE next year. We have decided to replace them with Iseet. States will be persuaded to adopt Iseet even for admissions to engineering colleges under their jurisdiction. For this purpose, Iseet will be held in regional languages too,” Ms Daggupati Purandeswari told reporters after the meeting.

As of now, the Iseet to be conducted in 2013 will only cover the 15 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), 30 National Institutes of Technology (NITs), four Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), five Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) and few deemed universities which come under the purview of the HRD Ministry.

A candidate must score above 40 per cent in Class XII Board examination to be eligible. However, the weightage, accorded to the performance in Class XII, can go up to 100 per cent. The combined weightage for the Main and the Advance paper under Iseet shall not, in any case, exceed 60 per cent. It is for the individual educational institutions or the state government to decide on the weightage to be accorded to the scores in Class XII, Main and Advance examinations. Iseet-2013 will be conducted in two parts, Main and Advance, in April or May 2013. The exams will be of three-hour durations each and will be held on a single day.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/40-score-must-sit-iseet-820

Single entrance test: ministers meet Wednesday (22 Feb)

Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, February 21, 2012

Education Ministers of states will meet in New Delhi on Wednesday to decide on the Centre's move to hold a single entrance test for admissions to under graduate science and engineering programmes across the country.
HRD minister Kapil Sibal says 11 education boards in the country have unanimously supported the move and the government now intends to seek the views of other boards in this regard.

"The states have to come onboard now. We are going to have a meeting of the CABE committee, state education ministers…all these will be put before the CABE committee. We want to have a firm resolution at that level before we actually hold the exam," he told PTI.

"We are attempting to do that. I can tell you for example there was a meeting of Council of Boards of School Education in India (COBSE) on Monday. 11 boards came for this meeting of COBSE and all 11 boards unanimously supported this," he said.

He was responding to a question whether the single entrance test would come into force by 2013 as planned.

Sibal said the government intends to write to other boards in the country asking them to give their views and explain whether they have any problem with regard to conduct of the single test.

The proposed entrance test, Indian Science – Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET), is likely to be conducted in April or May next year and will have two parts — ISEET main and ISEET advance.

He said the main issue of bringing about equalisation of the Class XII marks across the boards has been sorted out by a formula designed by the Indian Statistical Institute that would give "more representation" to states in the IIT system.

Sibal's comments comes ahead of his crucial meeting with State Education Ministers here tomorrow during which the issue would be discussed thread-bare.

Sibal said he did not want to convey any misgivings especially on the issue of equalising various results of the state board exams.

The formula that has been derived by Indian Statistical Institute has taken into account the results of the last five years and have come out with specific figures.

"We are willing to make a presentation. COBSE is fully agreeable," he said.

When pointed out that some southern states are not agreeable to the test, he said: "Who are saying they are averse? At the CABE committee there was unanimity. People have to be persuaded how the equalisation is taking place. In fact, this would give more representation to states in the IIT system."

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Single-entrance-test-ministers-meet-Wednesday/Article1-814552.aspx

Goodbye JEE, welcome ISEET from 2013

The successor to the JEE and AIEEE — for long the gateways to India’s top engineering colleges including the IITs — will be called ISEET, the Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test.

As reported by The Indian Express on January 31, the new, SAT-style exam comes into force in 2013. It will do away with multiple entrance examinations and reduce the stress levels of students.

ISEET will have two parts, Main and Advance, each of three hours duration. Both tests will be given on the same day, between 10 am and 5 pm. ISEET 2013 will be held in either March or April.

ISEET Main will be an objective type exam, and will test comprehension, critical thinking and logical reasoning. ISEET Advance will test problem-solving ability in basic science subjects. The two tests together will indicate a candidate’s scholastic level and aptitude for science and engineering.

A student’s performance in the Class 12 Board exam will be considered, with a weight not be less than 40 per cent of the total score. The combined weightage for ISEET Main and Advance will not be more than 60 per cent; however, the weightage given to Board scores can go up to 100 per cent.

Each state government or institute will be able to decide the specific weight it gives to Board, Main and Advance exam scores. A committee headed by Dr T Ramasami, secretary in the Department of Science & Technology, has demonstrated with the help of the Indian Statistical Institute that school scores across various Boards can be normalized through a statistical process.

ISEET will be conducted by CBSE. Further modalities will be worked out by an academic group headed by the director of IIT, Kanpur.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/goodbye-jee-welcome-iseet-from-2013/911645/0

CM open to Iseet, NEET from 2014

• February 21, 2012
• DC
• Hyderabad

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has asked deputy chief minister Damodara Raja Narasimha, who holds the higher education portfolio, to take up the Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test (Iseet) issue with the Centre during the State Education Ministers’ Conference in New Delhi.

He also asked the minister to explain the problems that students from Andhra Pradesh will face in case Indian Institute of Technology — Joint Entrance Examination and All India Engineering Entrance Examination are abolished in 2013 itself.

He has also asked Mr Raja Narasimha to convey the opinion of the state government that it has no objection if Iseet is implemented from 2014 along with National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for MBBS admissions.

The Central government will be urged by the State to give flexibility to states regarding determining the weightage to be given to 10+2 marks for admissions to all major professional courses.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/cm-open-iseet-neet-2014-244

Ministry charts out new entrance test

• February 15, 2012
• By N. Arun Kumar
• DC
• chennai

Though some states like Tamil Nadu opposed the Common Entrance Test (CET) for professional courses, the HRD ministry has come out with a mission document for conducting the Indian Science-Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET) from 2013.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct the test according to the mission document with the guidance of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

The HRD ministry is likely to persuade all states to accept CET during the Education Ministers’ conference scheduled to take place in New Delhi on February 22. It may be pointed out that Tamil Nadu has opposed CET for over half a decade.

According to the mission document, ISEET would be split into two parts, ISEET–main and advance. Each examination will be for three hours and will take place on a single day.

The examination would be conducted either in April or May. The main exam will be conducted in the morning and the advance in the afternoon.

It will be up to each institution, groups of institutions and state agencies to carry out counselling and admission in a coordinated manner, the document said.

University sources said that Tamil Nadu was the first state to scrap the Common Entrance Test for professional courses five years ago and the present AIADMK government too had opposed CET.

“When the state has taken such a stance we don’t think the Union government can force CET in Tamil Nadu,” said a source.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/chennai/ministry-charts-out-new-entrance-test-290

Decision on new IIT test pattern soon

New Delhi, Feb 18,2012, PTI:

The Joint Admission Board of the Indian Institutes of Technology held a meeting on Saturday here ahead of the state education ministers’ conference next week, where a final call is likely to be taken on holding a pan-India test.

IIT members discussed the modalities of the common entrance test at the meeting. The pan-India test has already been approved by the IIT council.

The test, to be known as ‘Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test’, will be held in May next year. The issue will be placed before the state education ministers’ conference on February 22.

CBSE may conduct ISEET-2013, while an ‘academic group’ will oversee the entire test guided by the director of IIT-Kanpur.

The process of transferring school board results data to ISEET will be worked out, a source said.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/228343/decision-iit-test-pattern-soon.html

Centre’s plan to replace JEE, AIEEE raises eyebrows

Wednesday, 15 February 2012 23:16

PNS | New Delhi

HRD Ministry's proposed move to conduct the Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET) from 2013, as a successor to the Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) and All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) has stirred up apprehensions amongst the experts and certain State Governments.

However, all eyes are on the forthcoming conference of State Education Ministers which is likely to take place on February 22.

While the Government may be sold on the idea of a common entrance test in 2013 for admissions to at least centrally-funded science and engineering institutions across the country, experts were critical of the doing away with the famed JEE. "JEE had an identity of its own. One that gave IIT's the exclusivity that they command today. A student preparing for JEE prepared for the test with the sole purpose of entering IIT and not a regional engineering college," an expert said.

The respective State boards have different syllabi, marking systems etc and giving 40 per cent weightage to class 12 examination in the common entrance test, in this situation would be like stirring a hornet's nest, the experts noted.

Further, school boards like CBSE, ICSE are easier to score as compared to State boards. This is unfair to students appearing for State boards that award lower marks than the national boards, they felt.

Experts also were of the opinion that a single examination would actually increase the pressure since students would then be unable to bank upon other examinations as a backup to save a year.

Meanwhile sources in HRD Ministry pointed at yet another hurdle-that of taking the State Governments on board with the proposal.

Tamil Nadu, for instance, is likely to oppose the proposal to introduce the Indian Science-Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET) at the conference. This is on similar lines of the State's earlier opposition to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for MBBS courses, the sources felt. They are arguing that such a move would be detrimental to the interests of students from rural parts of the State.

The States will however be persuaded to deliberate on the issue in the meeting, and take a view on the implementation of the recommendations of the Ramasami Committee, sources added.

The committee headed by T Ramasami, secretary, Department of Science and Technology, set up by HRD Ministry had favoured introducing ISEET in two parts – Main and Advanced in April or May next year. As per the proposal, examinations will be of three hour duration each and both will be held on the same day, sources said.

 http://dailypioneer.com/nation/42978-centres-plan-to-replace-jee-aieee-raises-eyebrows.html

New Cet makes colleges see red

February 18, 2012 , DC , Hyderabad

After Neet, it’s the turn of Iseet to kick up a controversy. The Union ministry of HRD has decided to scrap IIT-JEE and AIEEE from next year and replace them with a single entrance test called Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test (Iseet) for admissions to prestigious IITs, NITs, IIITs and other centrally-funded technical institutions. Another significant change is that along with the Iseet scores, students’ Class XII marks will have 40 per cent weightage.

The Union ministry’s decision has triggered protests from IIT-JEE and AIEEE aspirants, parents and college managements across the State. They want the Centre and State governments to implement exam changes from 2014, so that a fresh batch of students who take admission in 10+2 courses in the coming academic year, 2012-13, can prepare for the pattern accordingly.

The state government will take up the issue with the Centre during the conference of state education ministers convened by the Union HRD ministry on February 22 in New Delhi. There is also stiff opposition to the proposal to give 40 per cent weightage for 10+2 marks in ISEET, when there is no national common curriculum for 10+2 across the country.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/new-cet-makes-colleges-see-red-217

 

 

IT students angry with ISEET

Thursday, February 16, 2012 – 14:45

Source: 

Punjab Newsline Network

By Tajinder Singh

The students all over the country are not happy with Human Resource Development ministry’s decision to scrap Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) and All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEE) and to start a new combined test namely Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET).

This new test is going to replace will test the students from the session 2013 onwards. According to this system students will be selected according to their marks in 12^th standard and ranking in ISEET.

 

HRD wants to scrap the multiple entrance tests with the introduction of ISEET. But the students of different IIT”s have found a lot of discrepancies in the system. Students of IIT Delhi organized a press conference to voice their protest against this decision while Roorkee students filed a petition and the students of IIT Patna carried slogans on placards saying “Save IIT, Save JEE”. The students are angry over the provision under the system that class 12^th class marks will receive 40% weightage which will dilute the edge that tests like JEE and AIEEE had over outdated and discrete levels of 12^th class examinations around the country.

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/news/?q=node/36403

 

Ritika Chopra  New Delhi, February 12, 2012 | UPDATED 12:05 IST

Government plans to make Class XII boards easier

Tags: Govt plans to make Class XII boards easier | Human resource development ministry | IIT Joint Entrance Examination | All India Engineering Entrance Examination

Currently, a student appears for the CBSE Class XII exam just once.

After the decision to dilute the role of the IIT Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), the Centre, it seems, is mulling another radical proposal to revolutionise the examination system.

With board marks set to play an important role in deciding admission to engineering courses in future, the human resource development (HRD) ministry is now considering the idea of permitting multiple attempts at taking the Class XII board exams.

This possibility was discussed during a meeting held recently to evolve the format of the common aptitude-cum-advanced knowledge test that will replace the IIT JEE and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) in 2013.

"The suggestion was made to the CBSE chairman during the meeting. It's up to the board to decide if this can be worked upon," said a ministry official.

A candidate's rank in the common aptitude-cumadvanced knowledge test will be based on the board performance and the test score. The former will carry 40 per cent weight.

"The intention behind the common entrance test is to de-stress students. With just one shot at taking the board exams and a lot depending on it (board marks) for admission, they feel stressed. That defeats the purpose of the common entrance test."

Currently, a student appears for the CBSE Class XII exam just once, unless he has failed or has a compartment in one or two subjects.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/government-plans-to-make-class-xii-boards-easier/1/173216.html

‘Unfair to give 40% weightage for 10+2’

• February 18, 2012
• DC
• Hyderabad

In view of the Centre proposing Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test (Iseet) for admissions to prestigious IITs, NITs, IIITs and other centrally-funded technical institutions, Mr M.V.S. Satyanarayana, a senior IIT-JEE trainer said, “Different states have different Boards to conduct 10+2 exams. The syllabus is different. The evaluation of answer scripts and marking system are also different. It will be unfair to give 40 per cent weightage for 10+2 marks in Iseet scores that will determine admission to prestigious IITs and NITs, without bringing a common national syllabus.”

“Let the Centre first create a level-playing field by bringing a national common syllabus at 10+2 level. Then it can think of giving 40 per cent weightage for 10+2 marks,” he says. Even IITians are strongly opposing Iseet saying that it will lower the standards of IITs, which have been criticised of late for not living up to the high standards expected of them. The timing has also been criticised. “Any changes should be applicable to fresh batch of students. We are already preparing to face the IIT-JEE and AIEEE in 2013. How can we change our mode of preparation at this juncture?” asked M. Aishwarya, an Inter second year student.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/%E2%80%98unfair-give-40-weightage-102%E2%80%99-189

Change in admission norms

Feb 7, 2012, 12.39PM IST

While there have been recent developments in undergraduate admissions at Delhi University (DU) for a Bachelor of medicine, Bachelor of surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of dental surgery (BDS), a proposal for a change in admission criteria to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other engineering colleges will require class XII students to focus more on the board exams.

Now on, admission to Delhi Universitys (DU) medical and dental colleges will be on the basis of ones rank in the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT). Thus, only students appearing for AIPMT 2012 will be eligible to apply to DU colleges Lady Hardinge Medical College, Maulana Azad Medical College and University College of Medical Sciences for medicine, and the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences for dentistry.

According to Dinesh Singh, vice-chancellor, DU, the decision to cancel the undergraduate entrance examination for MBBS and BDS at DU will save students from appearing in multiple examinations. We have also written a letter to Vineet Joshi, chairman, CBSE, in this regard, he says.

The AIPMT which will be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will have a preliminary round on April 1 followed by the final round on May 13.

Vineet Joshi says, We have no objection if DU wishes to admit students into its MBBS and BDS colleges based on their AIPMT scores, but the university will have to take permission from the Supreme Court for the same.

The second development is regarding the IITs and other engineering institutes in the country proposing that 40% weighting be given to class XII board exams for engineering college admissions. It has been recommended by the T Ramasami committee, which is working for an all new Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) where the entry of students into IITs or any other engineering institute will be based on one single test along with a specified 40% weighting on what one scores in class XII.

According to an IIT-Delhi official, these recommendations were originally made so that students do not neglect classroom learning and stop depending on coaching classes. This recommendation is also for those families who cannot afford to send their children to coaching classes. As of now, no formal decision has been taken, but will be implemented after the approval of the MHRD.

Joshi adds, Giving specific weighting to class XII scores for admission into engineering colleges will make students attend their classes regularly and fare well in the board exams.

However, a class XII student says, Changing the JEE pattern at the last moment is unfair for all those students who have been preparing for it since the last two years. If a new system is adopted now, students preparing for IITs will suffer. This decision should have been taken much earlier.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/11790239.cms

New admission criteria for medical and engineering colleges

Feb 6, 2012, 10.10AM IST

Too many entrance exams may not be the right way to evaluate a student's merit level. Vishakha Sharma reports on the recent changes in the admission criteria for medical and engineering colleges

While there have been recent developments in undergraduate admissions at Delhi University (DU) for a Bachelor of medicine, Bachelor of surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of dental surgery (BDS), a proposal for a change in admission criteria to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other engineering colleges will require class XII students to focus more on the board exams.

From now on, admission to Delhi University's (DU) medical and dental colleges will be on the basis of one's rank in the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT). Thus, only students appearing for AIPMT 2012 will be eligible to apply to DU colleges – Lady Hardinge Medical College, Maulana Azad Medical College and University College of Medical Sciences – for medicine, and the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences for dentistry.

According to Dinesh Singh, vice-chancellor , DU, the decision to scrap the undergraduate entrance examination for MBBS and BDS at DU will act as a relief for students. "We have also written a letter to Vineet Joshi, chairman, CBSE, in this regard," he says.

The AIPMT which will be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will have a preliminary round on April 1 followed by the final round on May 13.

Joshi says, "We have no objection if DU wishes to admit students into its MBBS and BDS colleges based on AIPMT scores, but the university will have to take permission from the Supreme Court for the same."

The second development is regarding the IITs and other engineering institutes in the country proposing that 40% weightage be given to class XII board exams for admissions to engineering colleges. It has been recommended by the T Ramasami committee, which is working for an all new Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) where the entry of students into IITs or any other engineering institute will be based on one single test along with a specified 40% weightage on what one scores in class XII.

According to an IIT-Delhi official, these recommendations were originally made so that students do not neglect classroom learning and stop depending on coaching classes. This recommendation is also for those families who cannot afford to send their children to coaching classes. As of now, no formal decision has been taken, but will be implemented after the approval of the MHRD.

Joshi adds, "Giving specific weightage to class XII scores for admission into engineering colleges will make students attend their classes regularly and fare well in the board exams."

However, a class XII student says, "Changing the JEE pattern at the last moment is unfair for all those students who have been preparing for it since the last two years. If a new system is adopted now, students preparing for IITs will suffer. This decision should have been taken much earlier."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/New-admission-criteria-for-medical-and-engineering-colleges/articleshow/11775166.cms

 

New JEE to blur class XII marks bias?

Akshaya Mukul, TNN | Feb 3, 2012, 12.47PM IST

NEW DELHI: The new single Joint Entrance Examination being proposed for admission to Indian Institutes Technology/ National Institutes of Technology/ Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research/ Indian Institutes of Information Technology and state government-run engineering colleges would not have a uniform weightage to class XII results.

Sources said while there would be a single-test, class XII weightage would have variations that would cater to needs of different engineering colleges and state governments. For instance, the source said, Weightage given to class XII result would be different for admission to IIT and for other engineering colleges. Weightage would be even state-specific. There would be a band of weightage that institutes and state governments would be free to choose from.

Variation has been devised to deal with concerns of the state governments, many of whom feel that due to different system of evaluation in each state, students from low-scoring states should not be discriminated. In Tamil Nadu, admission to state government-run engineering colleges is on the basis of class XII marks and not any entrance test. For states like Tamil Nadu, weightage for class XII has to be different from what it would be in Bihar or Uttar Pradesh, the source said. The T Ramasami committee working on a new single JEE has not made public findings of analysis of past data of school boards that was done by Indian Statistical Institute last year.

ISIs report accessed by TOI shows that it was not even made part of any presentation. The report, while analysing data of CBSE, ICSE, Tamil Nadu board and West Bengal board, found that class XII scores from these boards are not comparable. It said, Since the subject scores do not appear to be comparable, the question of combining them for comparability of aggregate scores across the boards does not arise. A meeting of state education ministers has been called later this month. In case, state governments do not come on board, the ministry is planning to go ahead with a single entrance test for Central government-run engineering institutions from 2014.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/New-JEE-to-blur-class-XII-marks-bias/articleshow/11739194.cms

 

Now, JEE with Class 12 count faces ‘feasibility glare’

Thursday, 02 February 2012 00:00

Pioneer News Service | New Delhi

The proposal of new single Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) being proposed for admission to IITs, IIITs, NITs, IISER and State Government-run engineering colleges with weightage on Class 12 marks has raised questions on its ultimate feasibility.

According to sources, combining 12th standard marks in the selection merit may bring the same 100 per cent cut-off fiasco as recently witnessed by DU, as there are many boards, which will start inflating their marks, in such a way so as to neutralise the normalisation impact.

Talking on condition of anonymity, the experts expressed reservations on normalisation. They pointed out T Ramasami committee, which is working on new single JEE, chose to ignore that with liberal policy of awarding marks in many State boards, there are many hundreds of candidates with scores 100 per cent or above 100 per cent — some of these even award bonus marks to students, eg, for sports activity (Maharashtra State) enabling students to score above 100 per cent. Similar is the case with other boards too as Odisha.

Further, when the Board becomes aware of the normalisation formula, it is likely to start awarding inflated marks in such a way to take advantage of the prescribed normalisation formula, felt the sources.

“This had occurred in the past for whomsoever who used the normalisation”, the sources said, reminding that most bodies (eg, UPSC, BITS, IIT’s GATE), which earlier used normalisation of marks for their selections/admissions, have already done away with such concepts.

According to them, if such a situation is allowed, it may ultimately lead to cut-throat competition in Class X and XII as observed in DU, with cutoffs going to 100 per cent. Even with 100 per cent, a student will not able to get an IIT seat of his choice, feared the sources.

Ramasamy chose to ignore the major conclusions drawn by the statistical experts that “subject scores do not appear to be comparable, the question of combining them for comparability of aggregate scores across the boards does not arise,” the sources pointed out.

The above was concluded with statistical analysis of XII standard marks of various boards that there existed poor correlation among the marks scored across the boards. A natural inference of the statistical analysis is that the marks, scored across the boards, cannot be compared, thereby naturally discarding use of the normalised ranks.

The above important statistical analysis of the ISI expert report had not been included in Ramasamy’s presentation. They further argued it would further enhance the importance of the coaching institutes.

“These institutes are elated with the proposal of weightage to 12th standard marks indicating that the students would be compelled to get enrolled for full two-year course instead of the evening or weekend classes.

 

http://dailypioneer.com/nation/39468-now-jee-with-class-12-count-faces-feasibility-glare.html

IIT JEE set to go, 40% weightage for Class 12

Anubhuti Vishnoi : New Delhi, Tue Jan 31 2012, 02:17 hrs

A common aptitude-cum-advanced knowledge test will replace the IIT Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) in 2013. Test scores will have 60 per cent weight in deciding admissions; school board marks will have 40 per cent. Test and board scores will determine admissions to all centrally funded engineering institutions.

The common entrance exam, planned as a SAT-type test, is likely to be held online from 2014, and could be given twice a year, highly placed sources said. The paper test is likely to stay on until the online system stabilizes.

The NIT council has approved the new format. All the IITs have agreed too, and are likely to give their formal approval at a meeting of the Joint Admission Board (JAB) on February 18. The human resource development (HRD) ministry has formed a committee of IIT directors and CBSE officials to work out the modalities before the meeting.

The ministry has been working on a common entrance format for over a year, with the aim of reducing the stress of taking multiple tests for students just out of Class 12, checking the coaching business which promotes learning by rote, and reinforcing the importance of school education.

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal plans to take the proposal to the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) to help build acceptability and consensus for the common entrance test among state governments.

“The common entrance exam will have two elements — simple aptitude testing to assess scholastic levels, and an advanced section which a student can choose to either continue with or skip,” said a source.

“This test will essentially produce only scorecards for each student, and the concerned institute will then decide how it will use the 60 per cent weight — say, an IIT can rely more on scores achieved on the advanced level section than on aptitude. It could be a 30-30 aptitude-advanced knowledge format for IITs, and 40-20 for NITs,” the source said.

“While AIEEE and JEE will go, the JAB and the Central Counselling Board (CCB) will stay to work on these finer points and modalities of admission.”

The JEE currently decides admissions to the 15 IITs; the AIEEE to the 30 National Institutes of Technology (NITs), 4 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and 5 Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research (IISERs). A host of private engineering and technical institutes in the states also use AIEEE scores. Over 10 lakh students apply for AIEEE and 5 lakh for JEE every year.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/iit-jee-set-to-go-40-weightage-for-class-12/905885/0

 

 

IITs give in, JEE, AIEEE to merge

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, January 28, 2012

The Ministry of human resource development will soon call a meeting of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Council to stamp a decision to merge the IIT-Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) and All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) conducted by the Central Board of Secondary

Education.

After much resistance, the IITs have agreed to join the ministry’s bid to have a common entrance examination for all engineering colleges in the country. This only happened after there was an agreement that several elements of IIT-JEE will be part of the new national common examination.

“The new entrance examination will have many elements of IIT-JEE as we want to ensure that the best brains join our institutes,” said an IIT director requesting anonymity, after a meeting of select IIT directors with HRD minister Kapil Sibal.

A formal meeting of the IIT Council to stamp the merger is expected in February.

IIT Kanpur director Sanjay Dande made a presentation on features of the new entrance examination aimed to evaluate skills of a student objectively.

A student’s Class 12 marks and entrance exam score will have equal weightage.

The new examination will be conducted by a joint committee of IIT and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which conducts AIEEE, and will cover all central government engineering colleges and those in seven states such as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal, which had opted to take students on the basis of the AIEEE score.

There are 15 IITs, four Indian Institutes of Information Technology and 20 National Institutes of Technology in the country.

The HRD ministry believes that more states could join in the future and it will try to bring them on board at a meeting of state education ministers on February 15. Over 15 lakh students, including 4.85 lakh for IIT-JEE, appear for different engineering entrance tests in the country every year.

A student wanting admission in an engineering college has to take three to five entrance exams depending on the stream.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/IIT-JEE-and-AIEEE-to-merge-in-2013/Article1-803446.aspx

 

 

No big bang rollout of single engineering entrance exam

By Rikita Chopra

Last updated at 2:36 AM on 27th January 2012

The first edition of the common engineering entrance examination scheduled to roll out in 2013 will probably cover only centrally- funded technical institutions in its first year.

In other words, just 15 IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology), 30 NITs (National Institutes of Technology), 4 IIITs (Indian Institutes of Information Technology), IISERs (Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research) and a few deemed universities will fall under its ambit.

Currently, there are 15 lakh engineering colleges across the country and more than 150 entrance tests are conducted for admission to these institutes. 

The HRD ministry has held three meetings since last September to work on the final format of the examination, which will be jointly conducted by the IITs and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).But Sibal and his ministry are tightlipped about the details.

'We are working on it and an announcement will be made in February,' the minister said.

However, those who attended the last meeting have told Mail Today that the examination, in its first year, will probably be meant for engineering programmes of only central institutions.

'All our discussions till now have been mainly pertaining to the IITs, NITs, IIITs and centrally funded institutes.

The test for the first year will probably just cover them or be a merger of the IIT-JEE and the AIEEE,' an official who was present at the last meeting, held over a week ago, said on the condition of anonymity.

The rationale behind the common entrance exam for engineering is to reduce psychological and financial stress on students because of multiple entrance tests and give more importance to Class XII results than private coaching.

'A student's class XII Boards results will be taken into account at the time of admission,' Sibal had said about the test in September last year.

Currently, apart from the joint entrance examination conducted by the IITs and the AIEEE conducted by the CBSE, all the states have their own engineering examinations.

Many deemed universities and private institutes also hold their own tests.

'Whether the states will join the common test in the first year has not been discussed. I guess the idea is to first introduce the exam with the central institutes on board and then have the state governments and private players join it eventually,' said the official.

The HRD ministry is likely to get the states on board before a formal notification on the test is issued next month.

'A meeting is scheduled with all state education ministers on February 15. We will try to get them on board. We are hoping that at least the seven states that subscribe to the AIEEE score will join the common entrance test,' an HRD ministry source Kapil Sibal said.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2092488/No-big-bang-rollout-single-engineering-entrance-exam.html#ixzz1kkL8j4Mb

 

 

IIT coaching centres gear up to brace the new JEE

Last updated on: October 27, 2011 16:02 IST

Kalpana Pathak
Even as the official announcement of the new changes in the JEE exam is yet to be made, IIT coaching centres from across the country are already gearing up their strategies two months in advance.

As IITs plan a change in their entrance examination, coaching centres tap schools to stay in business.

With the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) working out the nitty-gritty of the format of a new Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), IIT coaching centres are also firming up their course of action to ensure that their business does not suffer.

Kota-based Career Point Systems, for instance, will launch a school curriculum coaching division and also look at partnering with schools to train students on campus.

"Seeing the kind of shift the regulatory framework might bring in, we are looking at incorporating some changes in our business model," says Pramod Maheshwari, the chairman and managing director of Career Point Systems.

"We are gearing up to open a school curriculum coaching division by the next academic year. So far we have been preparing students for competitive exams, but now we have decided to partner with schools and prepare them for board exams too," he adds.

Coaching institutes say they prepare students for high-end examination and though the IITs' move will reduce the students' dependence on them, the impact will be short-term. "The changes may impact the business for the initial two years, but things will be back to normal later," says Maheshwari.

"Even today the majority of 12th standard students take tuition. Coaching institutes will now focus more on teaching students in a way that they secure more marks in the board examination as well as in the aptitude tests. Aptitude tests like SAT, GMAT or CAT require a certain kind of training which coaching institutes have been providing," adds another director from an IIT-JEE coaching institute in Nagpur.

'Weightage for board exams would apply to all subjects and not a select few'

Last updated on: October 27, 2011 16:02 IST

Last month, the IIT council accepted the recommendations of the T Ramaswami committee report on JEE reforms and also proposed a single entrance test for all engineering colleges, including IITs, National Institutes of Technology and private institutions.

The IITs say a notification will be issued in a couple of months which will give details of the format to be followed by the IITs while considering a student for a seat — whether to give 50 per cent or 60 per cent weightage to the board exams and the rest to IIT-JEE scores.

There is, however, a slight confusion and uncertainty about the new IIT-JEE pattern that will be put in place in 2013.

"Two years down the line, IIT-JEE might be an aptitude test. The details, however, would be made available only after a formal notification in January 2012," says the director of an IIT who does not wish to be named.

"We have also agreed that the weightage for the board exams would apply to all subjects and not a select few. We decided to implement the new system in 2013 because there will be logistical constraint and feasibility issues," he says, adding that they now have 15 months to get the new format in order.

New JEE to look at overall performance of students

Last updated on: October 27, 2011 16:02 IST

Over a decade ago, English and engineering drawing, too, were part of the IIT-JEE examination. IITs would even accept state board toppers directly, informs an IIT director.

Four IIT directors Business Standard spoke to said that the change in the IIT-JEE format is the need of the hour.

"The Chandy committee report had brought out the fact that there is a correlation between school performance and IIT performance," says a director.

"Today, because of the culture of coaching classes, the schooling system has been thrown out of the window to such an extent that students are not even attending school because of the pressure of such training programmes. We hope this will change that," the director adds.

IIT directors concur that when students graduate from elementary to secondary school, the elementary school performance is taken into account. And, when one goes from secondary to higher secondary, the performance in the secondary school is considered. Similarly, when one graduates from the secondary school system to the tertiary system, that score needs to be taken into account.

"The world over, admissions are based on your overall academic performance. Unfortunately, that logic has been reduced to lip service and this causes all kinds of aberration in the education system, which needs to be restored," says an IIT director.

http://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-career-iit-coaching-centres-gerar-up-to-brace-the-new-jee/20111027.htm

IIT CAT 2013: Hard lessons for private coaching centres

Swati Garg & M Saraswathy / Kolkata/ Mumbai September 29, 2011, 0:04 IST

The proposed common admission test format for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs), could prove to be a damper for the Rs 10,000-crore coaching industry.

Come 2013, the existing marking system will be replaced with one where the focus will be on the performance at the board exams. Candidates will be chosen, based on their ranks in the board exams and the number of students who appear for the exam under the concerned board. “For example, a student from CBSE would get more points for being ranked fourth, than a student from the West Bengal Board,” said Gautam Barua, director, IIT Guwahati.

At present, IIT aspirants appear for the IIT Joint Entrance Exam (IIT JEE), which takes into account a student’s capabilities in physics, chemistry and mathematics (PCM). Board exams or class-XII results do not play a role in the final marking system. A student has to, however, score a minimum 60 per cent to qualify for the examination. Over 1.5 million students appear for the exams every year.

He said the idea behind changing the exam format “was to strike at the root of the coaching system that has gripped the country”. “We want these coaching classes to be transformed into schools,” he said, adding that the new format will encourage students to earn merit at the Plus-2 level. “The best way to do it, would be by encouraging students to perform better at the board exams.”

Coaching centres will, therefore, have to change their approach, said experts. For instance, Gautam Puri, managing director of Career Launcher, one of India’s better-known coaching institutions, said students will focus more on the overall package of subjects rather than just the PCM combination. “The way students prepare for the exams will change. Instead of focusing on the PCM, they will study everything. It will directly impact residential coaching institutions, which offer the code for cracking the earlier PCM-based exam. This kind of a coaching system will not be needed for just an aptitude test.”

At present, there are three types of examinations to apply for an engineering course — the IIT JEE for IITs, the All India Joint Entrance Exam (AIJEE) for other government engineering colleges besides the IITs, and the state board engineering exams for state engineering colleges.

The residential coaching programmes that Puri refered to are estimated to be a Rs 400-500 crore industry in Kota, a small town in Rajasthan, with a burgeoning student population. Over 70,000 students arrive in Kota to prepare for the entrance exams. While coaching institutions like the Forum for IIT-JEE chose to downplay saying it is too erealy to pass a judgment on the potential impact of the change, others like Pramod Maheshwari, MD and CEO of Kota-based Career Point, echoed Puri’s views.

“Now that Class XII board exam marks will also be taken into consideration, there will be a lot of competition to secure good marks in these exams. In this case, expert coaching will still be there. But, though the coaching modules would be modified as per the requirements, I believe there the business would be affected temporarily,” said Maheshwari.

Others, however, said the new exam format will merely mean a change in the coaching syllabi. “The analysis that students study only for the exam and not for their boards is incorrect. Over the past five years, the average IITian has a board exam percentage of over 80 per cent. Good students will continue to look for help. As long as that happens, it will be business as usual,” said P K Bansal, CEO, Bansal Institute. Kota-based Bansal Institute gets over 12,000 students every year an average and the annual fees per student is Rs 70,000.

The idea behind the change in the format, which was taken at the meeting of the IIT Council last week, was to curb the growing coaching culture. Terming the coaching system as a “racket”, Sanjay Govind Dhande, director, IIT Kanpur, had observed that the entrance examination system had to change.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/iit-cat-2013-hard-lessons-for-private-coaching-centres/450792/

 

 

JEE could be in new avatar in 2013

TNN Sep 22, 2011, 11.36am IST

KANPUR: The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are all set to bring a whole new change in the pattern of Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) organised every year across the country. The changed exam pattern would be followed from the year 2013.

The new pattern of JEE would include conducting an aptitude test for the exam aspirants. The students will have to crack this aptitude test consisting of questions based on reasoning and all other subjects that the students have studied in their schools. But it is worth mentioning here that the aptitude test would also include questions related to subjects like physics, chemistry and maths.

This arrangement has been proposed in the IIT Council meeting held in Delhi on September 14 with an aim to reduce the pressure on the students.

Talking to journalists, IIT-Kanpur director Sanjay Govind Dhande said that the aim is to respect every subject that a student has studied be it history, geography or any other subject. He said that this is possible only by conducting an aptitude test which will have both qualitative and quantitive reasoning questions to solve for the students.

Dhande said it was discussed during the IIT Council meeting that instead of calculating the performance of the students on the basis of percentages received in their class XII, the weightage must be given to the percentile.

He also mentioned that it is an extremely tough task to bring about a uniformity in the percentages achieved by the students in their class XII results as the percentage achieved by a student in one state board varies from the percentage achieved by other student in some other state board. For bringing this uniformity, the percentages of students would be converted into percentiles and this would be used for further comparisons among the students.

"As different states have different boards and there are only two Central boards – CBSE and ICSE, it will be a difficult task to establish a uniformity in the percentages achieved by an individual student when comparing his performance with the other individuals. For this, the percentage of marks achieved by the students would be converted into a percentile. This would be done through virtual mapping by Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata", said Dhande while explaining about the proposed way through which the percentages achieved by students in class XII in their different state boards would be brought at a uniform scale.

He further said that the 50% weightage would be given to this percentile performance and other 50% weightage would be given to the performance in the JEE. It would be on the basis of these two performances that the students' ranks in the JEE would be assessed.

Dhande also added that there are 42 state boards and because of this reason, some kind of uniformity has to be established to match the performance of the individual students (in their class XII) with each other. And when so many boards are there and each one of them has its importance, the percentile match is the only way out to calculate the student's performance.

Dhande said that these recommendations have been given by Ramaswamy committee to the ministry of human resource and development but at this stage, the plan has not been approved by the government.

He added that as soon as the notification for the same will come, the changes would be made in the pattern of JEE.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-22/kanpur/30188470_1_state-board-aptitude-test-percentile

IIT-B students defer protest

M Saraswathy & Disha Kanwar / Mumbai/new Delhi September 24, 2011, 0:30 IST

Students of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, (IIT Bombay) have planned a series of non-violent protests against the IIT Council’s new admission proposal. A boycott of classes, initially planned for September 23, has now been postponed to October 14.

A group called iitians.org on social networking site Facebook is spearheading the protests. “We are requesting not just the IITs, but also students of classes 11 and 12 from other colleges, professors and teachers to join our protest,” said an IIT student associated with the group. The group’s main concern is that the quality of IITs would be affected by the new proposal and lead to an untested selection process. Other IITs have not been actively involved in the movement due to the fact that their examinations are on and their placement season is approaching. “I have supported the cause on Facebook, but cannot go beyond that due to the ongoing examinations,” said an IIT Kharagpur student.

Though IIT Delhi has not registered any official protest, scrapping of IIT-JEE is the talk across the campus.

“We will boycott classes. We may also resort to wearing black shirts and not having mess food as a part of our non-violent protests. The protests will continue until the necessary changes are made. We want to send a strong message to the IIT Council,” said an IIT-Bombay student who did not wish to be named.

The much-debated proposals of the IIT Council chaired by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, which include scrapping of the IIT-JEE examination, having a common entrance test and giving equal weight to Class XII board examination results, will be implemented from 2013-14.

An IIT Bombay student said: “The move that has been introduced is definitely not the best one. There are very few people who are interested in engineering. A special aptitude is clearly required for getting into an IIT, which cannot be achieved merely by scoring good marks in Class XII. The new system is also not free of problems.”

The alumni, too, have been involved in the protests. “Examinations are going on in several IITs and that is why it was pushed out to October 14. The call is for boycotting classrooms in spirit; the classes can still be held in ground, labs, people can give exams, study for exams, study outside class room. We and the students will be writing mails to all professors, MP, MLAs, seniors, government and any email/address we can get hold of,” said an ex-IIT Kharagpur student associated with the protests.

The sentiment shared by most of the students is that as IIT JEE is an application based exam in synchronization with engineering requirement, giving 75 per cent weightage to XII exam which is more of a rote learning will impact the kind of student intake.

The inclusion of social science subjects like history, geography etc in the Scholastic Aptitude Test(SAT) is a move that is detested by students.

One student said, “It is totally non sense to include social sciences in IIT entrance. For engineering, logical and analytical brains are required. Those interested in social sciences can pursue it separately.” He also added that rather than providing poor brilliant students with free IIT coaching so that they can also clear it, Sibal is destroying the already institutionalized pattern of exam doing away with even the elite brilliant students.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/iit-b-students-defer-protest/450298/

 

One SAT-like test for IITs and all engg colleges, fee payback plan

Express news service

Posted: Thu Sep 15 2011, 01:41 hrs New Delhi:

The council of IITs today proposed a pan-India common entrance aptitude test for admission to engineering programmes — in IITs and other colleges as well — possibly from 2013.

This will replace the current system of a joint entrance examination for IITs and separate tests for state engineering colleges. Officials said private colleges can use this test too.

Another proposal is to weaken the clout of coaching institutes by giving weightage to Class XII exam results. However, states need to be on board with a normalization process given that each has its own board examinations.

The Indian Statistical Institute has been roped in to work out the details.

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said that the single test — on the lines of the Scholastic Aptitude Test in the US — would reduce stress for students and improve access to education. “The IIT system must reflect diversity. The aam aadmi must get into these institutes,” Sibal said.

The Kakodkar committee had recommended raising the fees to Rs 2 lakh a year. Sibal said this would be factored in but IIT fees would remain the same at Rs 50,000 per year .

However, an estimated 25% of the general students — whose annual income is above Rs 4 lakh — will have to pay back the “difference” (Rs 6 lakh at the rate of Rs 1.5 lakh per year) on employment, he said.

Those who do PhDs or join IITs as faculty will, however, be exempt from paying this. This proposal will go to the finance ministry. This is expected to incentivise those taking up doctoral research and teaching positions, Sibal said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/one-satlike-test-for-iits-and-all-engg-colleges-fee-payback-plan/846883/

'Single-test policy for engineering colleges flawed'

Akshaya Mukul, TNN | Sep 16, 2011, 02.58AM IST

 

NEW DELHI: An analysis of the T Ramaswami committee report on JEE reforms, proposing a single entrance test for all engineering colleges (including IITs, NITs and private institutions) throughout the country, exposes many flaws.

This and other recommendations of the committee were accepted by the IIT Council at its meeting on Wednesday subject to the approval of the state governments and the finance ministry.

The report says weightage would be given to class 12 marks and a SAT-kind of test would be held. But the entire proposal is based on a survey of class 12 results of just four boards – CBSE, ISC, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal – though there are a total of 42. Only 2,000 people were surveyed out of which 66% were in favour of factoring in the performance in school boards and 34% were not. Out of those who were not in favour, 45% said board examinations do not assess capability and 30% feared non-uniformity. However, 85% of those surveyed supported the concept of a single entrance test.

"If there was a big enough sampling, these percentages would have increased significantly, thus, making a mockery of using class XII scores for admissions," a senior IIT functionary said. He also raised concerns about the process, especially with regard to the fairness of the testing methodology, pointing out that already there were large scale irregularities in the JEE.

When the Damodar Acharya Committee first suggested the proposal of 'normalization' of class 12 marks across boards, it was opposed by many state boards on the ground that it was not easy to do. They had also said that institutions like BITS, Pilani, and the Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering had abandoned the normalization system. In 2007, a three judge bench of the Supreme Court (Sanjay Singh vs UP PSC), while "demonstrating the anomalies/absurdities arising from scaling (normalization)", had concluded that "there are number of methods of statistical scaling (normalization), some simple and some complex. Each method or system has its merits and demerits and can be adopted only under some certain conditions or making certain assumptions."

A comparison of the Acharya Committee report on JEE reforms and the Ramasamy committee shows there is a confusion on what model is best suited. Also, it is not clear how shifting to a new system would take away the dominance of coaching centres.

The Acharya Committee had suggested a single formula of JEE that included a weighted sum of the class 12 result and an aptitude test. The Ramaswamy panel has given six options with many variations. Acharya said only the class 12 marks should be used, while Ramasamy said it could be class 12 alone or both class 10 and 12.

"The Ramasamy proposal is not a concrete proposal, it is basically exploration of all the possible options," the director of a new IIT said. He said, "With the new proposals, there would be multiple coachings, to be started much early, for class 10, 12, an advance test, and an aptitude test." He also feared that the ultimate scenario would be cut-throat competition in class 10 and 12. "Even with 100%, a student will not able to get an IIT seat of his choice," he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Single-test-policy-for-engineering-colleges-flawed/articleshow/9999880.cms

 

Common entrance test for IITs, NITs from 2013

The Joint Council of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has proposed it for admission to these institutions

Submitted on 09/15/2011 – 08:29:22 AM

New Delhi: The Joint Council of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has proposed a pan-India common entrance test for admission to the IITs and National Institute of Technology (NITs).

The Council also proposed to cover State Government run and private engineering colleges across the country, under the common examination.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi after the meeting of the Council the HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said the concurrence of the Central Advisory Board of Education and state Education Ministers would be sought before implementing the proposals.

The Council has proposed to put the operation from 2013-14 academic years.

An all-India merit list will be prepared based on the combined weightage given to class XII exam and to a common test. The examination will test a student's logical ability and knowledge on non-subject matters, Sibal said.

The joint Council also agreed to raise the fees of IITs students from Rs 50,000 a year to Rs two lakh as recommended by the Kakodkar Committee.

The Council also agreed that during the study period the student will pay only Rs 50,000 and the balance of fee of Rs 1.5 lakh will be recovered from him when one gets employed.

This fee hike would impact only general catagory students as students from ST, SC and OBC except creamy layer will continue to pay old fee.

The HRD Minister said that the IIT will raise its faculty strength from 4,000 to 16,000 faculties by 2020 and produce 40,000 PHD's by then.

The Minister said that the Council took note of the incidents of suicides for varying reasons in IITs. The Council decided to constitute a Task Force headed by an eminent person and includes representatives of parents, teachers, alumni, professional counselors and to submit its report within four months.

http://www.igovernment.in/site/common-entrance-test-iits-nits-2013

IIT council proposes pan-India common entrance test

Published: Wednesday, Sep 14, 2011, 20:48 IST
Place: New Delhi

The council of IITs today proposed a pan-India common entrance test for admission to engineering programmes possibly from 2013.

After a meeting of the council which stretched for over five hours, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, however, said the concurrence of the Central Advisory Board of Education and state education ministers would be sought before implementing the proposals.

"We have decided there shall be one exam. Subject to the clearance of the CABE committee and subject to the clearance of the state ministers we will try and put that into operations from 2013," he told reporters in Delhi.

On the issue of hiking tuition fee as recommended by the Anil Kakodkar committee, he made it clear that "fee would remain the same at Rs50,000 per annum" but added a student, excluding STs and OBCs, would 'pay back' the amount which is the difference between the fee deposited and what the IIT spends on him.

According to Sibal, an all-India merit list will be prepared based on the combined weightage given to class XII exam and to a common test. The test will examine a students logic and non-subject matters.

He said weightage would be given to the marks obtained in class XII boards after the results are equalised for which Indian Statistical Institute will put in place a mathematical formula for equalisation.

The minister said the council was seized of the problems that states like Andhra Pradesh faced while implementing the equalisation procedure.

http://www.dnaindia.com/academy/report_iit-council-proposes-pan-india-common-entrance-test_1587232

Class 12 marks will be counted for IIT-JEE: Sibal

CNN-IBN
Updated Sep 14, 2011 at 06:58pm IST

New Delhi: Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal on Wednesday said that 12th class board exam marks will be counted for admission to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and said there will be only one admission test after the 12th board.

Sibal also said that a task force of IIT directors will be set up to submit proposals to the Government in a month's time for implementation.

A proposal to have only one entrance exam for all engineering colleges, including IIT, state engineering college and Central colleges has also been made, subject to approval of state government and final approval by the Finance Ministry and the Union Government, informed the HRD Minister.

Talking on the fee hike issue, Sibal said, "Entry fee has remained Rs 50 thousand per year at entry level. There was a proposal to increase this to Rs 2 lakh. The remaining Rs 1.5 lakh per year to be paid if the student gets a job with private sector."

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/class-12-marks-will-be-counted-for-iit-jee-sibal/184111-3.html

 

IIT Council Meets: Arrives at Important Conclusions on Ramasami Committee Report and Kakodkar Committee Report

Ministry of Human Resource Development

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have to emerge as institutions of global excellence to take India forward to the next generation of technology leadership of the world. This was stated by Shri Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of HRD, Communications and IT, while addressing the meeting of the IIT Council today in the precincts of IIT Delhi. The meeting was attended by Members of Parliament, Ms Vasanthi Stanley, Shri Janardhana Swamy and Shri Depender Hooda,  Chairpersons and Directors of all IITs besides other scientists and technologists of eminence nominated on the Council.

A presentation was made by Dr Anil Kakodkar and Prof Jhunjunwala on the recommendations of the Committee to prepare a roadmap for taking IITs to global excellence. After detailed deliberations on the recommendations in which various opinions were expressed, the Council decided to constitute an Empowered Task Force for implementation of the recommendations for enhancing the autonomy of the IIT system with the intention of expanding the research output of IITs to produce 10,000 Ph.D graduates annually from around 1000 presently and increase faculty strength from around 4000 presently to 16000 by 2020. This would enable a large pool of researchers in technology to be fostered along with developing advanced technology manpower needs for promoting economic growth. The Council felt that a national benefit has to be derived from the investment through public funds on each IIT student. Therefore, every student at the time of obtaining employment after graduation could enter into an agreement with the IIT for agreeing to pay back part of the expenditure made on him or her over a suitable period. Students who do not obtain any employment or who proceed for a career in research shall not be expected to arrive at such agreement. In so far as modifications to the governance structure are concerned, the Council felt that the issue would be revisited in the next meeting. Each IIT was requested to prepare an accountability mechanism for regulating the exercise of administrative autonomy.

The Council deliberated on the report of Dr Ramasami for a country-wide common examination for admission to undergraduate programmes in sciences and engineering. The Council noted that the burden of multiplicity of competitive examinations was causing immense stress, both financial and otherwise, on parents and students at the time of admission at the UG level. The basis for reform in the examination process that reduces dependency on coaching, aligning the testing process to Class XII syllabus, reducing the multiplicity of tests to one was considered. Weightage would be given to the marks obtained by a student in Class XII Board examinations would be given after scientific statistical normalization of the performance vis-à-vis the average performance of other students appearing in the respective Board examinations, whether CBSE or State Boards. There could be a single national examination to test for aptitude and advanced domain knowledge or for aptitude alone to supplement the weightage given to performance in Class XII. Six options were placed before the Council for consideration and views of the members were sought. Based on the views expressed, the report would be finalised by Dr Ramasami in a month. The report would also be placed before CABE and State Education Ministers for a final decision so that the new system could be put in place by academic session 2013-14.

The Council took note of the incidents of suicides for varying reasons in IITs. While appreciative of the action being taken by IITs, the Council felt that the issue needs to be studied in all its dimensions. The Council decided to constitute a Task Force to suggest remedial measures after studying the causes of such occurrences. The Task Force shall be headed by an eminent person and include representatives of parents, teachers, alumni, professional counselors and submit its report in four months.

The Council ratified the proposal of IIT Delhi to establish an extension centre in the NCR region of Haryana on land offered by the State Government. This would help IIT Delhi in expansion of research facilities considering the limitation of space at its present location. The Council was also of the view that IITs need to extend their outreach through collaboration with industry, society and academia going beyond present geographical boundaries. The IITs should also serve the technological needs of the local area as well as assist engineering institutions in the area through faculty development.

A presentation was made by Director IIT Kanpur, Prof Sanjay Dhande, on a common web-portal (www.iitsystem.ac.in) for all IITs which could serve as a one-stop information source on all IITs necessitated due to the rapid expansion of the IIT system growing to 15 institutions in the Eleventh Plan. Information on admission guidelines, faculty availability and vacancies and other details would be provided through the web portal. It was suggested by the Council that the web portal could emerge as a window for engagement with industry and academia within the country and abroad with the entire IIT system.

MV/AS

(Release ID :75976)

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=75976

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